If you are online and are not already using article directories to promote your website, you are missing out on a free and highly effective marketing option. Article directories are great ways to draw traffic to your site without paying for advertising. However, to get real traffic to your site using an article directory, you must know how to use them correctly.

What Article Directories Are

Before you can use an article directory, you have to know what one is. Article directories are websites where thousands upon thousands of articles on just about any subject are posted. They are generally categorized to make it easier for readers to find information they want. They are also linked together, so a reader reading about “Hawaii travel” will naturally go from article to article on that topic. People can use the articles they find in the directories on their own websites, either for free or for a small fee. Authors pay nothing to submit to article directories.

How Article Directories Benefit Online Businesses

You are probably thinking, “Sure, that’s great. But how does an article directory help me promote my business? Doesn’t giving away free content defeat my purpose as an online business?”

These are great questions. When you submit an article to an article directory, it will contain a bio with a link to your website. Since you are the author of the article, you are allowed to include this information.

This means that anyone who is searching online and comes across the article directory will see a link to your site. Not only that, but the people who use the content on their own websites are required to keep it exactly as it appears in the directory. This means that your link could show up on hundreds of websites.

Article directories are generally large websites. This means that the web spiders are attracted to them. Having your link on these articles is a crucial part of an online linking campaign.

How to Make Your Submissions Effective

If you are going to submit to article directories, you need to do two things. First, you need to learn about proper keyword usage. You need the right percentage of keywords in your article, and they need to appear naturally within the content. This will draw the search engine spiders to the article, thus exposing people to your link at the bottom.

You also need to make your content unique and helpful. If your article is the same as thousands that are already online, other website owners will not want to use it. Also, if the information is not helpful, people will not read the entire article. Your goal is to have them read the entire article so that they will click at the link on the bottom.

Having helpful information in the article also helps the reader view you as an “expert” in the field. This is important, because you want them to have a reason to click on the link. If they are reading useless information, they will have no desire to visit your site. Also, proving that you are knowledgeable about a particular topic will show that whatever product or service you are marketing is worth buying.

What to Do if You Can’t Write

At this point you are probably wondering what you can do because you can’t write. You are an entrepreneur and business owner, not a writer. The good news is that you have options.

You can hire a freelance writer to “ghostwrite” the article for you. Ghostwriting means writing the article in your name. Instead of placing his or her name on the article, the freelancer uses your name and your business link. You will need to pay for this service, but the amount you will pay for a quality article is far less than the amount you would pay for an advertising campaign, and a well-written article placed in the right article directories will draw more traffic to your site than just about any other form of advertising.

Where can you find ghostwriters? There are a variety of online classifieds where you can post your job requirements or search for available writers. You can ask for quotes to help you learn what the going rate for a writer is. Keep in mind that you will pay more if you have detailed information that needs to be researched or if you are working on a tight deadline. You can also hire a content creation company to help you if you require numerous articles that would be too much for one individual writer.

If you do use a ghostwriter, be sure that you proofread the article before submitting it. You may find that the writer did not approach a particular topic as you would have wanted. You can ask the writer to rewrite the material, but posting something that is inaccurate or does not sound well written will detract from your goal of drawing traffic to your site.

Risks of Using an Article Directory

There is only one main risk to using an article directory, and that is that someone will download your content and use it on their site without including the link. You can do some work on your own to check for this, but it is hard to police. However, the occasional unscrupulous website owner who uses your content incorrectly is a risk worth taking for the many users who will give you a link on their site.

Post Much and Often

Once you get the hang of using an article directory, post many articles, and post them often. The more fresh, relevant content that links to your page, the more traffic you will receive. Be sure to continually research your keywords, because the keywords that people search for constantly change.

Also, submit your articles to a variety of sites. The most popular article directories may not draw certain demographic of people. The more places that have your article and your link, the better your traffic results will be. Since these sites are free to use, you might as well submit to as many as you can.

Jay Gaulard writes for a wide selection of websites on various topics. He is a veteran of the internet and has come to be respected in his many areas of expertise. This article was written on behalf of ArticleHub.US, a popular article directory website.

The purpose of writing articles on the internet varies from person to person. Some people write for the enjoyment of writing, whilst some write to share their knowledge or for the desire to have their writings published. Alternative reasons for article writing are for marketing your products and or services via an article within and article directory. It is all well that you have embarked upon an article writing exercise, the problem that faces you now is what to do with the articles in order to get them published or viewed by readers or potential clients.

The opportunities to have your articles viewed are numerous; the easiest is registering with an article directory where you will have the option of free article submission. The directories offer free article submission in order to build up the traffic to their site and thereby make their directories appeal to not only the article writers but to other marketers, businesses and readers alike – thereby attracting more site visits.

For people wanting to market their own products and services and writing articles on these products and services will be able to use the free article submission service to assist in their overall marketing plans. They should ensure that their articles do not read like advertising copy but rather be helpful and insightful to the reader – this in its own seems to create more credibility for the marketing company and has a better chance of success for generating more traffic to their site.

Essentially by using a free article submission service the budding author is exposing himself to potential publishers, as well as to clients with out having to run around with a hard copy of his work from one publishing house to the next. There are no printing or stationery costs involved because everything is done on a digital basis.

For the marketer or salesperson using a free article submission, he or she is saving thousands because essentially they are not paying a marketing company, they aren’t printing hard copies of the ‘brochure’, the advert is in a more direct area – in that it is placed in its category where interested parties will go and view the article. The cost of that type of direct niche marketing can be astronomical. The article is viewable twenty hours a day, seven days a week and three hundred and sixty five days a year, without the marketer worried that the hard copy is being used as a door mat or something in that line. The correctly written article that was uploaded via the free article submission service has literally cost the marketer nothing, except the time spent on writing the article. The value in that whole scenario is clearly apparent to all parties concerned.

If you want to get your work out there or even make use of a free marketing opportunity, make use of the free article submission service that directories offer – it will generate interest and money for you.

If Free Article Submission has always been intriguing to you, go ahead get started, look for an article submissions site, submit your article. http://www.talkinmince.com today

The benefits vary from case to case when companies embark upon a marketing drive. Some marketing concepts will have phenomenal results for one company and disastrous results for another. Marketing is expensive, and it should not be a hit and miss affair.

A cost effective way to market your products and services is to submit articles for online viewing. This can be very effective in that you are targeting a specific audience that is looking for your product, known as niche marketing. When you submit articles to an online directory or through your blog, there are a number of benefits that are applicable, these are highlighted below.

When you submit articles you are exposing your products or services to a group of potential customers that are situated all over the world. This is truly international marketing, without having to identify which newspaper or magazine is the most popular in that country, or which television station do they watch. This is true global reach via the power of the internet.

A vitally important issue is that you’re displaying your expertise and knowledge when you submit articles. This gives your products the credibility they deserve. Surely you have heard the saying people buy you before they buy your product. By submitting articles that are well thought out and carefully constructed, the businessperson is giving him or herself the opportunity of reaching those customers he is trying to target.

Without the added cost of establishing a store, if you are a home based business person, you put yourself in a suitable position to market any of your products or services via online cataloguing; when you submit articles you are essentially providing a link back for your potential client to view your full range of products and services.

You are creating brand awareness for your range of products and services; this will lead to an amount of secondary marketing via referrals and word of mouth advertising. In order to get your company name out there as well as your products you have to submit articles that will represent your field of expertise with a resounding message to pull them towards your offers of expert products and services.

The cost of the marketing campaign associated when you submit articles is next to nothing. All one has to consider and factor is the time that you spent in writing and constructing the articles. One can go through a qualified company to submit articles or one can do it themselves, it is recommended to know what you are doing if you intend submitting your own articles, as there is a science to it. That is why there are those companies out there to give you a helping hand.

All that remains is for you to sit down and write or hire a company to write and submit articles on your or your company’s behalf and you are all set for the far reaching effect of article marketing on the world wide web thus in turn promoing your site, services and products.

Write and submit articles on your company

What exactly is web hosting? Is it expensive to get it? These are some of the questions that many people ask especially if they are planning to venture into web business. Web hosting is a service that offers online systems to different users. It is a tool for storing any kind of data and information like video, images, audio and more. Web hosting service is the thing responsible for keeping a web site’s html files, graphics and many more. The place where it is stored is called the web server. If you are concern about the price and thinking that it is expensive, then you don’t need to worry because there are different packages of web hosting services that can able to suit your budget and needs. It is easy to find a low cost web hosting services in the internet with a quality performance. All you have to do is to search and to look around for a web hosting company that can match your requirements.

A suggestion is to do a comparison of different companies offering web hosting services that could found in the internet. It will be best if you do a careful research on this matter and you will be able to find cheap and affordable web hosting that can satisfy your requirements. Search further and you can able to find the best deals that can give you a great low cost rate. Remember the factors that define quality hosting are usually determined by customer service and of course the performance of web hosting services. Some budget web hosting offer inferior services at low cost rates. Some offer discount web hosting that doesn’t affect the features that a hosting provider can give. It is still up to you which kind of services would you like to have. One kind of web hosting service that you should be carefully looking into is a free web hosting. It doesn’t give a lot of features and it may not even pass your business requirement. Be sure to call the budget web hosting company that you are interested in and have carefully selected. The company that makes the assurance of reliable support is the one that you have to consider. Some of these companies offer great service but got a high price tag however, the customer support may not be that good or yet it is expensive. It is best to find a hosting company that has unparalleled reliability when it comes to your web site online presence. If you need sudden help with an offset and potential problems that sometimes arise, they must be there and ready to give reliable and trustworthy solutions. They must include satisfaction guaranteed in the services they offer. This is how reliability is achieved.

The web hosting company should offer special features for users and customers. They should include free applications that are easy to use and launch from a control panel. They should include forums, blogs, shopping carts and more depending on the products and service that you require for your site. This can help you in getting more of your hosting requirements. You won’t need to pay third party vendors to do this kind of job.

For bigger companies, you should expect to have a lot of traffic in your server. You should purchase a more dedicated server or virtual private server to help you with the performance during the times of peak visitor traffic. Make sure that you focus on a managed solution especially if you are not that experienced when it comes to technical aspect. This solution will save you a lot headaches and stress. However if you are just starting from scratch, you can be safe by selecting a web site hosting plan.

James Zimmerman loves to save money, especially when it comes to low cost hosting. Visit his site lowcostwebhosting.org to learn more tips on saving money with hosting.

Before we begin with the buying triggers, you should know the basic sales process. Below is how it works, in a nutshell:

Your customer has needs. You translate the features of your product or service into benefits. Your product or service has features. Product benefits are the links between your product’s features and your customer’s needs. You satisfy your customer’s needs by translating features of your product into benefits.

Having got that out of the way, let’s take a look at the 11 reasons why people really buy:

1. People Buy To Save Time: Time is the most precious commodity in the whole world. We all have the same 24 hours a day, so the person who makes the best utilization of his time stands to reach his goal faster than others. So if your product helps save time, it will certainly have a lot of demand!

2. People Buy To Save Energy: We need to accept the fact that most humans are lazy. They work because the “have to”, not because they “want to”. So if your product or service can save energy or effort and the price is right, people will want to buy it.

3. People Buy To Save / Make Money: A penny saved is a penny earned. So if your product / service can save money, people will be interested in buying it. If it can “make money”, they are game! Examples are – a software that replaces human labor, automates business, etc.

4. People Buy For Security: If your product / service gives some type of security or protection, it will be sought for. This can be burglar alarms, insurance covers, law services, medical services, etc.

5. People Buy For Comfort: How many times have you “switched over” a product for a similar one, just for the sake of comfort? As and when one progresses his financial situation / ages, he seeks comfortable things. He wants to replace the wooden chair with the cushion one, the old rumbling car with the new air conditioned one with special shock absorbers, etc. Comfort is an excellent buying trigger.

6. People Buy To Reduce / Eliminate Pain: This one is simple and doesn’t require much explanation. Nobody likes to bear pain, especially physical and emotional pain. People will do just about anything to eliminate / reduce their pain. If it can be done with money, they will beg, borrow or steal if they don’t have it.

7. People Buy To Avoid Trouble: Anything that causes trouble is stressful and people hate it. Buying a “stay order” through a lawyer in a dispute, paying taxes on time to avoid the IRS hounding you, insuring a vehicle to avoid legal charges when it is “not your fault” are all examples of this buying trigger.

8. People Buy For Pleasure / Entertainment: We all need to unwind at some point of time. Movies, plays, dancing, eating out, celebrations are all examples of pleasure and entertainment.

9. People Buy To Satisfy Curiosity: Magic games, gossip magazines, gossip parties, “the secrets of ______ (fill up anything like writing, making money online, advertising, etc) are some examples of the curiosity trigger. This is really a big one – an itch which will go away only if you buy. Did this actor had an affair with this married model? This magazine exposes the facts! You get it..

10. People Buy To Take Advantage Of Opportunities: One Time Offers, limited edition cars, limited club membership, fire sales, discount offers are all examples of opportunities. People will buy stuff that they neither need or want, just because they will never get the opportunity to buy again, should they want to buy in future. Big one, here.

11. People Buy For Vanity: Flashy Sports Cars, expensive suits, rolex watches, unique jewelery, antique paintings – are all examples of vanity buying in action. People want to show off, they want to perpetuate an experience. Make heads turn, make friends freak out, make your neighbors green with jealousy, etc.

I hope you got a lot of value from this article. Remember, nobody’s interested in the features of your products or services. Don’t bother with specifications, how long you are in business, etc – nobody gives a damn. They only want to know what it can do for them. Remember the WII FM radio formula – “What’s In It For Me?” Once you can answer this well, you’ve got them hooked!

Nirjara Rustom moderates the sales tips section of http://www.bharatbhasha.com at http://www.bharatbhasha.com/sales.php. The content here is free to read, so do check it out.

Email marketing is the most cost effective form of marketing. Actually, it doesn’t cost anything to send emails, unless you consider internet bandwidth as a cost! However, you do need to have systems to send emails to your mailing list. There are many ways you can do this, ranging from free hosted services and free software, to one time payment owned products, to monthly payment hosted solutions. All systems have their own pros and cons, their own features and advantages. Let us discuss these in detail so that we can decide which one is best for you:

Free Hosted Solution: There are several free autoresponder services available online, if you search on google. One of them is sendfree.com. The problem with these services is that they have very limited features and at some point of time you will require to upgrade to their paid solution, as your business expands. I wouldn’t advice to go for it, unless you’re doing it for entertainment purposes only.

Free Mailing Software: There are quite a few softwares available that you can install on your own server. This is OK to start with. But since it is free, you may be limited with features. Additionally, you won’t get any support and neither will they hold responsibility for any bugs or security holes. You can opt for this solution if you’re just trying your hand at it and are not very serious about it.

Paid Mailing Software: If you prefer to have complete control over your subscriber list and would prefer to pay a one time fee (and maybe a small annual fee for support and upgrades) instead of a monthly fee, this is a good option to choose. Depending on the software you purchase, there are a range of features to choose from, so do your research before taking a decision. Remember, taking backup of your lists is your responsibility. Depending on the number of subscribers you add to your lists on a regular basis, you should take a backup accordingly, like weekly, daily or even every few hours. Your list is your most important business asset, so take care of it. Autoresponse Plus is a good option to choose, if you opt for this solution.

Hosted Solutions: There are a whole range of hosted list management and autoresponder solutions available on the internet. A few of them are aweber, getresponse, emailaces, 123response, etc. Some of these solutions also offer an inbuilt ecommerce module like the 1shoppingcart. In fact, the professional package of 1shoppingcart has a complete online marketing system including digital delivery of downloadable products, affiliate tracking software, shopping cart, ad tracking, multiple payment gateway integration, etc.

Most popular hosted email solutions providers also maintain very good relationships with many ISPs, which is certainly an advantage when it comes to email deliverability. The chances of getting your email lost in a junk folder or not getting delivered at all decreases drastically, when you choose this option. However, this tends to be an expensive option and you need to fork out anything ranging from $10 to a few hundred dollars a month. The cost depends on which provider you choose and also the number of subscribers that you have / expect to have. Choose this option if you’re confident of taking full commercial advantage of your list. Another good but very expensive hosted solution is infusionsoft. It has all the bells and whistles like open rate, click rate, unsubscribe rate, and other statistics.

Whatever solution you choose, remember to educate yourself with the spam laws and also keep your knowledge updated. You never know when an unintentional goof up can land you in serious trouble. Most importantly, use double optin, have your complete address in all emails, and have a genuine unsubscribe link within your emails.

Nirjara Rustom moderates the email marketing section of http://www.bharatbhasha.com at http://www.bharatbhasha.com/email.php. The content here is free to read, so do check it out.

You have a web site, but you also have a busy work schedule and persona life. When are you going to find the time to do the tedious chore of updating that site?

You know that you must do updates. Visitors quickly get bored of going to sites where nothing has changed for weeks. If you don’t want to lose that valuable web traffic you’ve worked so hard to attract you’ve got to find ways to make updating easier, right?

The good news is that there is a solution. Content Management Systems (CMS), also known as Web Content Management Systems, can simplify the whole process. Basically, a CMS is a type of software that runs on your site’s server and makes it easy for you to organize documents and even multimedia items, such as images or sound clips.

With CMS, you can create standardized templates so all of your materials will have a consistent look. You won’t have to do any additional coding; you just have to cut and past the information into the software. Plus, if you have copywriters or contributors who supply the content for your site, you can provide them access to the CMS so that they can enter the information directly into the template. Although you’ll still have to publish it to the site, at least part of your job will be taken care of.

The nicest part of CMS for many site owners is that they don’t have to pay a web designer just to do the updates for the site. Because the CMS requires little to no technical knowledge, almost any user can effectively make these changes and create a professional-looking, up-to-date web site easily.

Some examples of Content Management Systems are:

Macromedia Contribute (now owned by Adobe). The nice thing about Contribute is that it allows a novice to maintain their own site. It is very cost effective (around $100-200) and once installed it allows you to make changes to your site through a web browser. It is geared to the complete novice and is mainly used to update your site’s content. If you want to just update your site’s text and photos this is the site for you. It is even easier to use than Frontpage, which is often considered the easiest wysiwyg tool out there. WYSIWYG stands for What You See is What You Get. That means that the software tool that you are using to design your site shows you what you are working on is pretty much what you are going to get when you publish or upload your website’s files.

As always, when working on your site you should make sure that you make backup copies just in case something happens when you are making changes to it. Don’t always rely on your web hosting provider for backup copies. They might not always have the most recent version of your site plus it is a hassle to get these files from them sometimes.

There are a large number of these systems available. You can talk to your web designer about which programs he or she might suggest or you can do some research on the Internet. Either way, you should be able to find a CMS that will fit your site’s needs and that will free up your time and money for other important parts of your life.

NetDogz is a connecticut web design firm that has been in business since 1999.

Hiring the right web designer is a must if you plan on creating a professional website. The question is how do you choose that web designer. This is the first part of a two part series that will help you make the right choice.

1. Ask around for referrals

You need to first find some options. You could look for web designers in your local phone book or search for web sites on the Internet, but the truth is that the best way to find a web designer who is going to do a good job is to talk to people who’ve used web designers. Talk to others in your field. Talk to other people you’ve worked with, such as copywriters. Ask around, and you’ll be likely to hear some good things about a couple of web designers, at least.

2. Get 3 quotes

Since price is going to be a factor in which web designer you choose and since prices vary a great deal, you should always get a minimum of three quotes from three different web designers. But comparison isn’t the only reason to get these quotes. You’ll also learn something about the web designers’ customer service: if they don’t respond quickly before you’re a client, imagine how they’ll respond after they’ve already got your business.

3. Look for experience

You don’t want to work with a web designer who’s just starting out if you want a professional quality site. So you should ask about their experience. That doesn’t just mean how many years have they been working in this field but also how many sites have they created during that time and how many different clients they’ve worked with. The more experience your web designer has the better but also greater experience means greater cost.

4. Meet your needs

You also need to make sure your web designer can meet your needs. If you want interactive elements in your site or if you want some Flash demos, then you’ve got to make sure your web designer can provide these features. Don’t rely on a web designer who has no experience in these areas.

5. View portfolio

Web designers usually include links to samples of their work on their web sites. If not, you should inquire about viewing their portfolio. You need to see for yourself what these web designers are capable of doing before you sign on the dotted line.

6. Communicate clearly

An often overlooked issue when choosing a web designer is how easy it will be for the two of you to communicate. For example, will you be able to talk over the phone or only email? Are you in similar time zones so communication can be fast? Additionally, you should choose a web designer you can understand – that doesn’t mean just someone who speaks your same language but also someone who doesn’t rely on techno-jargon to explain things.

7. Read testimonials

While looking at a web designer’s work is important, you should also make it a point to check out the testimonials their clients have left them. Sometimes these are also listed on the web designer’s site. If not, you might want to ask if you can contact their past clients so you can get a feel for their abilities.

8. Ask about support

With some web designers, the moment your site is finished, your relationship is finished. That’s probably not what you want. Hopefully, you choose a web designer who provides ongoing support, meaning they’ll be happy to answer questions you have about your site even after it’s been up for months.

9. Share vision

One important element of choosing a web designer is that they share your vision for your site. If they don’t, then you’ll find the entire process frustrating, time-consuming, and disappointing. At the end, you’ll end up with a web site you’re not happy with. Explain to potential web designers what you are looking for and be open to their ideas but remember that the site and final decisions about the site should be yours.

10. Sign a contract

With any web designer, you should sign a written contract that outlines your entire agreement. If a web designer doesn’t use written contracts, you should look elsewhere. If there’s a dispute over your agreement, both of you will benefit from having the terms in writing.

Roger Cochran writes for NetDogz, a web designer that has been in business since 1999.

Nearly everyone has looked for a data entry from home job. Read on to find out more information on this important topic.

While it is a profitable pastime, there are things that you need to know in order to decide if this is the right venture for you to involve yourself in. It’s no shame to not be able to do the work. For some folks, it is a case of the bad fitting hat!

Looking for one of these data entry from home job solutions can be frustrating and a little unnerving. This is true if you have no idea of what one of these jobs actually entails. Don’t laugh. It does happen more than people want to admit. They see typing or data entry and think that it is a wonderful job for them to do, and one that they can do at home without too much trouble. Well here are the facts about working in a job such as this. Let’s get our facts straight. The evidence is staring us in the face!

Fact – For Every Legitimate Job There Are Hundreds That Are Not!

It would seem like finding a work at home job doing data entry from home. Well, appearances can be deceiving. Like the wolf in sheep’s clothing, some of these jobs are little more than excuses to separate you and your hard earned money. They promise you an exorbitant pay rate, then drop out of sight when you discover that the pay scale isn’t what you were told. There are many jobs that are not true typing jobs and they ruin the reputations of those that are. They are the cause of much dissatisfaction in the typing field.

Fact – There are Legitimate Companies Out There Looking For Workers

There are plenty of legitimate companies that are looking to hire data entry from home personnel. Start by searching online places such as known hiring centers, virtual assistant web sites and look in the freelancing web sites as well. There is no charge for finding or getting a job on these sites. Most sign ups are for free. You can bid on jobs of your choosing on these boards. These are your best bets in order to find true work from home jobs in this field.

Fact –Many People Make A Very Good Living

Another data entry from home myth is that you cannot make a good living doing this type of work. The facts speak for themselves. There are many at home workers doing date entry and making a wonderful living doing what they love to do. They are paid fairly and the considerations of working this type of at home job are too numerous to count. The facts are there for anyone to see and they bear this fact out in spades.

Fact – Many People Want These Types Of Jobs

When speaking about data entry from home, most people will light up with joy when speaking about their wonderful work at home job. They will tell anyone who will listen about the wonderful job and how they don’t have the hassles of dealing with commutes or traffic or nosy co workers.

Now that you have the facts about Data Entry from Home, why not check out the friendly website listed below for further information at http://www.goodinternetmoney.com/Make-Money-With-Data-Entry.php.

How many industries allow bad hygiene as the norm? I can only maybe think of a few where it is tolerated, (the zoo keeper who feeds the monkeys comes to mind). The other day I was greeted by some lackluster technie duds with dried mustard stains on their retro t-shirts. Obviously my questions during this B2B interview deeply bored them and I was taking them away from their corporate responsibilities, (… they were playing a multi user video game when I came in for my 8:30 AM appointment). This type of behavior seems to be disturbingly rampant.

I had additional problems with this group as I explained the fast turning techno shift in our economy. That is when it suddenly occurred to me. Are 40 year olds supposed to wear Sponge Bob t-shirts to the office or am I seriously missing something?

On the way out of the meeting I had to seriously laugh to myself. I counted about 80 SUV’s in the parking lot. There is no way these vehicles could have been paid for free and clear. So that meant the people inside this ridiculous web company were on the hook for monthly payments. If things took a sour left turn they could end up taking the bus to work. I reminded myself of what happened during the not so distant dot com era when the whole tech wave came crashing down. How long would it take for this latest technical wave of innovation to cave in?

It’s happened before…..

Who Is Shelling Out 40 Grand These Days For Anything?

Not too long ago I ran across a 20 page web site that received a 40 grand price quote. There was a brief time in our dot com history when those numbers seemed feasible. But now that quote comes off somewhat obsolete. The market is shifting and people are running to other solutions. It is amazing to see so many business owners take control of their own marketing and do things for themselves. I think it is really amazing to see people go after their own markets and completely cut out advertising altogether. This has never really happened at this level any time in our history.

This is hitting advertising at a very high level. The interesting thing is that this person to person exchange for goods and information has been going on in other industries for quite some time. If you remember a few years ago the big enemy of the music industry was Napster. This allowed multiple users to exchange songs for free. This system was abused for many months. It wasn’t until the record companies started to prosecute individuals and make this problem public. Fans were cutting out the middle man years ago until smart executives got wise and decided to police the digital music scene. Now there is law and order and you do not hear of this being in the public’s eye as much although it is still a problem.

Cutting out the advertising agent or agencies is starting to make adequate sense. Considering the problem with advertising lies within the fact that a good deal of it will bring questionable results one really must doubt its overall effectiveness. There is a wide range of bravado with the new Web 2.0 explosion. Now suddenly, business owners who once needed permission to speak to a broad audience are able to connect to ready buyers with a click of a mouse. This has shortened down the rejection time from business owners and consumers. The other cool thing about this recent revolution is that consumers are able to get what they want without any extra middlemen in the way. This has never really happened before on this level. There are some companies who are getting rich off of this new platform. It makes the dot com generation look like a bunch of talentless hacks. Having survived the fuzzy vision of the dot com movement, ( I am a former Art Director) I have seen the battle scars and deep flesh wounds of an over optimistic generation.

By the time it takes for a company to finally get their IPO and investment money you could be depositing money into your bank account. It is really just a matter of when you want to get started and do it. I already see signs of even the top web companies in the industry falling aside from the mighty Web 2.0 empire and the legions of people behind them. This is incredible due to the fact that you really can be an overnight success if you apply yourself and get some kind of strategy online. This is what makes marketing your business online so powerful these days.

The beautiful thing about it is that now you can write your own ticket.

Ted Cantu runs i-Cantu Media LTD which is a Web 2.0 Video studio located in Farmington Hills, Michigan. You can find him at, GET YOUR WEB SITE LISTED ON GOOGLE Download his FREE,